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Fairfax County Public Schools entered the final stretch before winter break with all schools fully accredited, a comprehensive boundary review nearing a School Board decision and work underway on a budget shaped by statewide funding challenges.
Superintendent Michelle Reid said road inspections showed schools were ready to open amid the weekend’s cold weather, while urging families and employees to dress warmly, allow extra travel time and use caution in winter conditions.
She also acknowledged tragic events in the United States and abroad, emphasizing that student and employee safety and well-being remain priorities. Support is available to students and families through FCPS services, while employees and their families can use the division’s free, confidential Employee Assistance Program around the clock.
Falls Church High School is preparing to launch an Alumni Author Mentorship Program in April 2026. Track coach, 1977 graduate and school historian Craig Day discussed the initiative with Assistant Principal Mary Bermingham and alumni author Carolyn McBride.
The program will connect alumni authors with current students to encourage writing and demonstrate the school’s history of producing published writers. Its message to students will be simple: They can write books, too.
Falls Church Academy students also took their American Sign Language skills beyond the classroom during a visit to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. The trip included a stop at a Starbucks staffed entirely by deaf employees, giving students an opportunity to communicate in ASL in a real-world setting.
With winter break and possible snow days approaching, FCPS has assembled learning activities for days when schools are closed. Elementary families can also use a literacy adventure calendar featuring 10 winter-themed exercises designed to reinforce specific reading and writing skills.
Inclusive athletics remain another area of focus. Annandale High School Assistant Principal Jae Lee said an October 13 Special Olympics professional-development session brought administrators and teachers together to consider new opportunities for students.
Lee said the enthusiasm showed schools were ready to expand participation and build a culture in which every student feels recognized, valued and included.
The division’s Military Family Advisory Council met Monday at the Gatehouse Administration Center. FCPS serves approximately 13,000 military-connected students, many of whom encounter repeated transitions associated with a family member’s service. The district is also continuing work toward its Purple Star goals.
Classrooms Put New Math Program to the Test
On Tuesday, Reid visited Graham Road Elementary School, led by Principal Lauren Badini, to observe reading and mathematics instruction.
During the school’s Walk to Read program, students moved to designated spaces for targeted lessons. Third-grade teacher Stephanie Jutz and Advanced Academic Resource Teacher Alex Poole led small-group work on blending sounds, fluent reading and comprehension. Students in reading teacher Sarah Endorf’s classroom also practiced fluency skills.
Graham Road is one of five schools piloting Clear Math. In kindergarten teacher Lindsay Rodriguez’s classroom, instructional assistants Ruba Saah and Pamela Boatman helped students use plastic chips to practice subtraction within 10. Students taught by Julie Kercher applied counting strategies to subtraction and explained their reasoning to classmates.
Second graders in Annie Otarola and special education inclusion teacher Carolyn Vachon’s classroom reviewed addition and subtraction in groups. In another second-grade class, Taylor Swen and multilingual teacher Casey Policy used a hundreds chart to help students see subtraction patterns.
The final Community Conversations of 2025 were held Tuesday at Fairhill Elementary School and Thursday at Bull Run Elementary School. Participants discussed the boundary review, volunteer security checks, technology use, the FCPS budget and state and federal funding. Another round of meetings is expected in the spring.
Tuesday also included Hayfield Secondary School’s winter orchestra concert, which featured several student ensembles.
On Wednesday, the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for Twice-Exceptional Programming met at Gatehouse. Members examined the Advanced Academic Program identification process, the 2025-26 project plan, a multiyear plan and questions for student focus groups. The work aligns with the academic inclusion and engagement provisions of Goal 2 in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
That evening, Reid met with families from Bren Mar Park Elementary School, Parklawn Elementary School and Glasgow Middle School to hear questions and concerns about possible boundary adjustments.
Boundary Review Heads to the School Board
Regional officials gathered Friday at George Mason University for the Regional Elected Leaders Initiative Awards Luncheon, which recognizes public service and efforts to improve civility, collaboration and effective governance.
Later that day, the Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its final meeting. Reid will consider the committee’s input before submitting recommendations and a proposed implementation plan to the School Board.
Board members are expected to review the proposal, conduct a public hearing and decide on any boundary adjustments in January.
Weekend activities began with a girls’ wrestling tournament at Madison High School, where the continued growth of the sport was on display.
At Hayfield Secondary School, a LEGO Robotics competition challenged students to design and program machines that address real-world problems while building creativity, teamwork and STEM skills. Teams from Oakton and Garfield elementary schools participated, supported by current and former students. Hayfield teacher and alumnus Joseph Kerns helped lead the event.
Accreditation Success Meets Funding Concerns
The first ratings under Virginia’s new School Performance and Support Framework showed that every Fairfax County public school remains fully accredited. The standards give greater weight to mastery on standardized tests and less to the academic growth of individual students.
FCPS is now developing its proposed fiscal 2027 budget, which Reid plans to present at a School Board meeting in late January. Division leaders say sustaining educators, demanding academic programs and career-focused learning will require adequate funding.
FCPS is encouraging residents to follow the budget process and learn about the outdated state funding formulas affecting school systems across Virginia.
Educate Fairfax, meanwhile, reported that it returned more than $1.27 million to FCPS during the previous year. For its 2025-26 cycle, the organization awarded 129 grants totaling more than $210,000. The projects are expected to benefit nearly 47,000 students at 117 schools.
Teacher Sally Milian is among the FCPS employees who support the organization after seeing classroom grants expand instructional opportunities. Milian said the funding can transform limited resources into much broader learning experiences. Educate Fairfax’s year-end campaign will support the next round of classroom grants.
The week concluded Saturday afternoon with South County High School’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Director Jewel Schrader Orem described the story as a reminder of community, the resilience of the human spirit and the far-reaching difference one person can make in the lives of others.